2008 DECEMBER
December 26, 2008

Israel Opens Gaza Border Despite Rocket Fire
Israel opened three border crossings into Gaza Friday, allowing in fuel and other goods for the first time in 10 days, as militants fired another round of rockets into Israel.

December 24, 2008

U.S. Panel Spotlights Plight of Religious Minorities in Iraq
Although progress has been made to reconcile differences between Shia and Sunni Iraqis, other non-Muslims there are suffering "severe abuses of religious freedom," a U.S. advisory group recently reported.

December 18, 2008

Controversy Emerges Over Obama's Choice of Inauguration Pastor
President-elect Barack Obama has fielded criticism for choosing Christian leader Rev. Rick Warren, whose conservative views are in contrast with some of Obama's base supporters, to give an inaugural invocation. Analysts discuss the controversy.

  

December 5, 2008

U.S. Calls for Zimbabwe's Mugabe to Resign as Power-sharing Deal Falters
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice increased pressure on Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe to leave office after his government stalled on a power-sharing deal with the opposition party.

NOVEMBER
November 26, 2008

What is Islamic Banking?
Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

November 12, 2008

Justices Side With Navy in Sonar Dispute, Hear Religious Monument Case
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to lift restrictions on use of sonar in U.S. Navy training exercises off the California coast. Marcia Coyle of the National Law Journal discusses the decision plus arguments in a church and state separation case.

  

OCTOBER
October 22, 2008

Gates Resists Changes to Iraq Security Deal
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that Washington does not want to change a draft deal governing U.S. troops in Iraq, despite concerns raised by Iraqi politicians.

October 8, 2008

Worlds Merge in Turkey, Raising Identity Issues
While Turkey's strategic geographic location elevates it regionally and internationally, its position at the intersection point of so many worlds generates questions among some of its 70 million citizens about who they are.

SEPTEMBER
September 11, 2008

Military Chaplains Undergo Unique Boot Camp
For chaplains to become effective ministers to troops in the field, they undergo specific training about the rules and customs of Army life. Saul Gonzalez reports on how Army chaplains are pepraed to provide religious guidance in war zones and the guidlines of their ministries.

  

AUGUST
August 22, 2008

Environmental Movement Finds New Supporters Among Evangelicals
With gas prices and global warming playing an ever-increasing role in the national discourse, some evangelical churches have begun to focus their faith in a new direction -- on environmentalism.

August 18, 2008

McCain and Obama Seek to Reach Out to Evangelical Voters
Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama addressed evangelical Christians at pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback church this weekend. Experts examine how the evangelical movement has changed since the last election and how the candidates are reaching out to the group.

  

August 11, 2008

Disaster Feared as 130,000 Flee Fighting in Southern Philippines
Continued fighting between Muslim rebels and troops in the southern Philippines has raised fears of a humanitarian disaster as nearly 130,000 refugees have fled their homes.

JULY
July 31, 2008

Karadzic Appears in Court, Refuses to Enter Plea
Thirteen years after war crimes charges were levied against him, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic appeared for the first time Thursday at the U.N.'s tribunal, but he refused to immediately enter pleas on the 11 charges against him.

July 28, 2008

Dozens Die After Bombings Hit Baghdad, Kirkuk
Suicide bombers killed at least 57 people and wounded nearly 300 others Monday during attacks against a Shiite pilgrimage in Baghdad and a Kurdish protest rally in northern Iraq, police said.

July 22, 2008

Judge Orders Karadzic into U.N. Tribunal Custody
A judge has ordered ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to be handed over to the U.N. war crimes court to face charges of genocide and other atrocities against Muslims and Croats in his country, a Serbian prosecutor said Tuesday.

July 21, 2008

War Crimes Suspect Karadzic Arrested in Serbia
Bosnian Serb wartime president Radovan Karadzic, one of the world's most-wanted men for his role in civilian massacres, was arrested Monday evening in a sweep by Serbian security forces, President Boris Tadic's office said.

July 1, 2008

In Appeal to Evangelicals, Obama Backs Expansion of Faith-based Programs
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama campaigns in the battleground state of Ohio Tuesday to announce plans to expand and overhaul President Bush's faith-based programs as part of his bid to appeal to evangelical voters and build his community service platform.

JUNE
June 23, 2008

New Survey Maps Shifts in the U.S. Religious Landscape
A new forum by the Pew foundation shows an America that is widely devout and diverse in its religious roots. It also reveals new shifts and trends in the way religion takes hold across the U.S. A senior fellow from the Pew forum discusses the group's findings.

  

APRIL
April 29, 2008

China Sentences 30 to Prison for Roles in Protests
A Chinese court on Tuesday sentenced 30 people, including six monks, to jail terms ranging from three years to life in prison for their alleged roles in deadly riots in the Tibetan capital last month, state media reported.

April 28, 2008

Wright Defends Sermons as Debate Over Race Continues
Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Sen. Barack Obama's longtime pastor, defended the fiery sermons that have become an issue on the campaign trail Monday and criticized what he called an "attack on the black church." A panel of columnists and analysts discuss Wright's impact on the presidential race.

  

April 23, 2008

Mid-East Experts Answer Questions
Last Friday, former President Jimmy Carter met with Khaled Meshaal, the exiled political leader of the Palestinian organization Hamas -- the group that currently controls much of the Gaza Strip. Two experts on the Middle East answered your questions.

April 18, 2008

Pope Benedict Urges Respect for Human Rights at U.N.
Pope Benedict XVI spoke Friday at the United Nations, saying respect for human rights should be the focus of international cooperation, but warning "multilateral consensus" is "subordinated to the decisions of a small number."

April 17, 2008

Pope Benedict Says Church, American Society at a 'Crossroads'
Pope Benedict XVI held mass before a crowd of some 45,000 worshipers at the Washington Nationals park Thursday, where he addressed the challenges facing American Catholics. A group of analysts and experts examine the pope's message to Americans.

  

April 16, 2008

Pope Visits White House, Compliments U.S. Generosity
Pope Benedict XVI visited the White House Wednesday, welcomed by President and Laura Bush. A reporter following the story discusses the pope's six-day U.S. visit.

  

April 16, 2008

Israeli Gaza Strikes Kill as Many as 19 Palestinians
Israeli forces killed at least 19 Palestinians, mostly civilians and a journalist, in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Wednesday, medical officials and witnesses told news organizations.

April 15, 2008

Papal Visit Prompts Reflection on U.S. Catholic Identity
Pope Benedict XVI arrived in the U.S. Tuesday for his first official visit -- a trip aimed partly at rallying Catholics still struggling with the aftermath of a clergy sex abuse scandal. Experts on religion examine U.S. Catholicism and how Americans view the pope.

  

MARCH
March 28, 2008

North Korea Missile Test Renews Nuclear Jitters
North Korea test-fired a battery of short-range missiles Friday in what some analysts viewed as a show of the reclusive state's anger at Washington and South Korea's new conservative government.

March 27, 2008

Election Draws Attention to Race, Religion in U.S.
The issues of race and religion have come to the forefront of Americans' minds during this election season, most recently after Sen. Barack Obama's speech last week on racial divisions in the U.S. A panel discusses how race, religion and politics are intersecting with the 2008 presidential campaign.

  

March 21, 2008

Miller Center Holds Debate on Religion and Politics
The latest issue debate from the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs explores religion and politics.

  

March 18, 2008

Protests Against China, Violence Continue in Tibet
Anti-Chinese protests and violence continued Tuesday in Tibet. The Chinese government blamed the exiled Dalai Lama for the violence. Lindsey Hilsum of Independent Television News reports on the situation in Tibet.

March 6, 2008

Gunman Kills at Least 8 in Jerusalem Seminary
A gunman infiltrated a Jewish seminary in Jerusalem and opened fire in a library Thursday night, killing at least eight people and wounding at least nine others, officials said.

FEBRUARY
February 26, 2008

Study Finds American Religious Affiliations Are Fluid
A new study on religion in the United States released Tuesday found that more than a quarter of adult Americans have left the faith of their childhood and a growing number of people are unaffiliated. Analysts examine the role of faith in America.

  

February 22, 2008

In Iraq, Al-Sadr Extends Cease-fire Order to Militia
Anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr announced Friday that he has extended a cease-fire order to his Shiite militia in Iraq for another six months, allowing the country more time to recover from brutal sectarian violence.

February 22, 2008

Florida Schools Will Teach Evolution, but with 'Theory' Caveat
The Florida Board of Education has approved new science standards that explicitly include the word 'evolution' for the first time, but last-minute revisions kindled controversy over religious and political tinkering in the science classroom.

February 7, 2008

With Romney's Exit, McCain Courts Conservative Base
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney suspended his bid for the White House Thursday, increasing the likelihood that Ariz. Sen. John McCain will win the Republican presidential nomination -- and intensifying the need for McCain to appeal to the party's conservative base. An expert panel assesses what challenges McCain may face.